Game 3 Shootaround Update

When talking to Hawks players and Coach Drew this morning following shootaround there seemed to be two prevailing themes in what they said: confidence and urgency.

Here is a sample of what they had to say:

Jamal Crawford:This game is very important. I’d be lying if I said otherwise. You can go down 2-1 either way. There is going to be a lot of intensity tonight.

We are definitely confident. We felt like we took their best punch down there. We didn’t play our best game and still only lost by six points. I definitely like where we are at.

Zaza Pachulia:Game 3 is the most important game in the series, so we gotta come focused for 48 minutes and do anything to win the game.

Head Coach Larry Drew:That’s Playoff basketball… treat every possession like it’s your last possession and treat each possession like it determines the game.

Just listening to the players and coaches talk about the game and the look in their eyes gets me excited for tonight. It should be a great atmosphere with the “White Out” or “Dwight Out” at the Highlight Factory.

A lot of the media has been asking the Hawks players that have been here for awhile about the 2008 series against Boston when the crowd played a huge role in three home wins. To that end, here are a few clips that always get me “fired up” for the playoffs: